Porn discovered at Austrian seminary
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| Mon, 07-12-2004 - 9:45pm |
VIENNA, Austria - A vast cache of child pornography and photos of young priests having sex has been discovered at a Roman Catholic seminary, officials said Monday, leading politicians and church leaders to demand a criminal probe and the resignation of the bishop in charge.
Bishop Kurt Krenn, who oversees the diocese, refused to step down, however, dismissing the images as a “childish prank.â€
Leaders of the Catholic diocese of St. Poelten where the seminary is located, about 50 miles west of Vienna, spent much of the day in an emergency meeting.
The seminary’s director, the Rev. Ulrich Kuechl, resigned along with his deputy, Wolfgang Rothe, the diocese said after the meeting. It did not elaborate.
As many as 40,000 photos and an undisclosed number of films, including child pornography, were found a year ago on computers at the seminary, the respected news magazine Profil reported.
It published several images purportedly showing young priests and their instructors kissing and fondling each other, and said others showed them engaging in orgies and sex games. The child porn came mostly from Web sites based in Poland, the magazine said.
‘Perverse situations’
Hannes Jarolim, a spokesman for the opposition Socialist Party, urged the Interior Ministry on Monday to launch a criminal investigation. Public prosecutor Walter Nemec said police were examining the material, which he said showed seminarians “in perverse situations together with their superiors.â€
The Austrian Bishops Conference issued a statement pledging a full and swift internal investigation.
“Anything that has to do with the practice of homosexuality or pornography has no place at a seminary for priests,†it said.
Krenn, a conservative churchman, told Austrian television he had seen photos of seminary leaders in sexual situations with students, but he described the images as part of an elaborate prank that “had nothing to do with homosexuality.â€
Harsh reaction for bishop
His nonchalance drew swift and scathing reaction across the overwhelmingly Catholic nation.
“Collecting child pornography cannot be dismissed as a prank,†said Thomas Huber, a Green Party politician.
In the mid-1990s, Austria was stung by allegations that Cardinal Hans Hermann Groer, who died last year, had molested students at an all-male Catholic boarding school two decades earlier. The affair had prompted Groer to step down.
A group of St. Poelten Diocese officials planned to ask the Vatican to remove Krenn as bishop, Austrian radio reported Monday. Martin Walchhofer, who supervises the alpine country’s seminaries, said Krenn ultimately was responsible and “must answer before the church and before God for all of this.â€
Asked whether he intended to resign, Krenn said bluntly: “No.â€
The Vatican said it had no comment.
Krenn, 68, issued a statement calling the accusations groundless while conceding that he “may have made some wrong personnel decisions†at the seminary. Rothe, the former deputy seminary chief, was a legal adviser to the bishop.
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The Catholic Church is saying that politicians that vote pro-choice can't take communion. Well, how about politicians that support the death penalty? After all, wasn't it part of the "seamless garment" that Catholic were suppose to wear? So, how about it? No communion for those who support the death penalty!
At executions I see Catholics holding candlelight visuals in protest.
Pope's statement on the
"The Vatican said it had no comment."
This is getting old..... the "no comments"........we'll handle this.
True. The problem is the response is to crack down on homosexuality in the church. Can you imagine the outcry from the gay community about how the Catholic chuch is bigotted against homosexuality?
True. The problem is the response is to crack down on homosexuality in the church. Can you imagine the outcry from the gay community about how the Catholic chuch is bigotted against homosexuality?
The problem is the church's denial of pedophilia and sexual abuse...not homosexuality, per se (not all reported cases have been homosexual in nature, nor have all cases been committed by male priests).
No but the OVER WHELMING (read: not even close) % of cases have been. It is a homosexual problem and the Catholic church has allowed it to prosper in its mitts.
Edited 7/13/2004 1:18 pm ET ET by vader716
The number of REPORTED cases...and, IMHO, it will always be the church's skill of 'guilt' and denial that have caused this problem.
I have to disagree. I think it is the permissive attitude of seminarian leaders that have caused this problem. The preisthood has become a refuge for abusers. I'm not making a position here - it's just that it is a WELL known fact among theologians that homosexual promiscuity is rampant in Catholic seminaries. The problem, in my opinion, isn't guilt or denial. The problem is hypocrisy.
:)
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